Police to cite leaders of political pressure group for contempt

The Ashanti Regional Police Command has hinted it will cite the leadership of the Coalition for National Sovereignty (CNS) for contempt of court for disregarding the injunction served on them, restraining them from going ahead with the September 19, demonstration in Kumasi.

The police had served the coalition while it was about embarking on the planned demonstration after they failed to furnish the police with an amended route for the procession.

The coalition and the regional command failed to reach an agreement on the routes earmarked for the demonstration and consequently, the latter went to court to secure an injunction to stop the former from going ahead with the said demonstration.

Disagreement

According to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP David Agyem, the coalition informed them about their planned demonstration three days earlier and furnished them with the routes they intended to use.

“The coalition wrote to the command that they wanted to embark on a demonstration and according to the Public Order Act, we invited them for a meeting and impressed on them to do certain things, for example, to change the routes they wanted to use and other things.

“So we expected them to come back to us so that we agree on the modalities and as we speak, they did not come to us,” he said.

Delay

The demonstration, which was scheduled to start at 7 a.m., delayed for over two hours as the police and the coalition were still engaged in talks at the starting venue.

When the two failed to reach an agreement, a court injunction was then served on the leadership, restraining them from going ahead with the demonstration.

Defiance

However, the Convener of the coalition, who is also the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah said the court injunction would not stop them from exercising their constitutional rights and that the demonstrations would go ahead as planned.

The few policemen, led by the Manhyia District Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Ameyaw Afriyie had to disperse amidst hooting from the demonstrators who had gathered at the Jubilee Park.

Mr Mornah accused the police of being the puppets of the government and acting on its orders to prevent them from embarking on the demonstration.

According to him, the demonstration would further expose how unpopular the government was and it was ready to do anything to frustrate the coalition from embarking on it.

However, he said the hardship, insecurity in the system and the corruption that have bedeviled the government was enough demonstration of how unpopular the government had become.

Demonstration

Clad in red and black attire and carrying placards to vent their plight, the demonstrators marched from the Jubilee Park through Aboabo to Alabar, Dr Mensah, Kejetia,

Adum, Asafo and back to the Jubilee Park where the leadership addressed the demonstrators.

The Kumasi demonstration was a sequel to the ‘Agbewor’ march organised in Accra earlier this year.

About the CNS

The CNS is a coalition made up of nine political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the United Front Party (UFP), the United Progressive Party (UPP) and civil society organisations. It was formed two years ago to protest against the setting up of a military base in Ghana by the USA.